


all the blood (that I will bleed)

by kodak123



Series: backstory (written in blood) [2]
Category: Justified, Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Episode: s01e22 No Good Deed, M/M, Twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-04
Updated: 2013-05-04
Packaged: 2017-12-10 09:58:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/784777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kodak123/pseuds/kodak123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>When Tim was nine, his mother left in the middle of the night with a suitcase and Henry. She never came back and Tim never saw her again. He always figured that she took Henry because he was quieter and got better grades at school.</i>
  <br/>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	all the blood (that I will bleed)

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings for: swearing. That's about it.

_Let me tell you a story. About blood. About two brothers. They did not have any ‘bad’ blood between them, no, it is more that they had no blood between them at all. No blood, no history at all, no siree. They did not share names nor ‘next of kin’ on those forms. What kin? You see, they both had no next of kin except for each other. They did share a country, though. I promise you, they did. But for one, their country would be their downfall and for the other? Well for him, the country would make him. Then break him. But in the end, it would make him happy. What for the first brother, I hear you ask. Well, his country would be his downfall – I said that before. Because some things are made to be secret and some people are not allowed to ask questions, no siree. But you see, this brother, he asked questions. And he shouldn’t have. But, you see, it turns out alright in the end. I promise you, yes I do._

* * *

They are eating breakfast when Tim’s phone goes off. Raylan reads the text before chucking it at him. It is unusually cryptic. It reads (unknown number): _Needed you here yesterday, Athena. RD at the usual place, ASAP. Drop everything and run. Please. Watch your back._

“What the heck?” he asks as Tim reads it. “How are you a Greek lady goddess?”

Tim’s brow furrows and he says nothing. Raylan expected some kind of jibe back, maybe asking how Raylan knew that Athena was a goddess (answer: seventh grade lit. teacher, he paid attention, she was very cute).

“I have to go.” Tim’s chair screeches across the floor as he stands. “Tell Art it’s for personal reasons.”

“What?”

“Family crises, Raylan. I have to go.”

Raylan wants to ask _what family_ but he doesn’t. Anyway, he couldn’t - Tim is already in their bedroom, rummaging around. He re-emerges several minutes later, with what looks like a shoulder holster, an ankle holster, his gunbelt _and_ maybe a knife in his pocket.

“Goin’ to war, soldier?” is all Raylan says.

Tim makes a sour face and bends down and kisses Raylan, quick and fierce. “Just tell Mullen personal reasons, okay?”

“What personal reasons?” Raylan yells as Tim heads for the door, but Tim just flips him off. And is gone. _What the fuck?_

* * *

Okay, fine, so maybe Raylan follows Tim, just a little. All the way to Blue Grass Airport. Tim, as far as he can tell, books a ticket to La Guardia, New York. So he books one too and inbetween lurking in airport and watching Tim stuff all his weapons in TSA-approved containers into a backpack, he phones Art and tells him that they are both on personal leave. For as long as it takes. Art does not take it very well.

* * *

Tim was born Timothy Henry Gutterson and his identical twin brother, twenty minutes older than him, was born Henry Timothy Gutterson.

When Tim was nine, his mother left in the middle of the night with a suitcase and Henry. She never came back and Tim never saw her again. He always figured that she took Henry because he was quieter and got better grades at school.

When Tim was eight, Mom read him and Henry a book of Greek myths that she’d gotten for cheap at a thrift store. They wanted to play war games based on the stories. They fought over who would be Ares, god of war and Henry, older (and therefore wiser) decreed that Tim could be Athena. _A girl_. It stuck. He called Tim ‘Athena’ for a year and a bit, until he and Mom left.

When Tim was twenty two and stationed at Fort Hamilton, Henry tracked him down. Henry was fresh out of Harvard and had a job at the NSA or the CIA, Tim couldn’t guess which one exactly. Henry was now Henry Peck, taking 'Peck' from his step-father.

It turned out that Mom had died last year, of pancreatic cancer.

It also turned out that the reason Mom had taken Henry was that he had woken up in the middle of the night because of a nightmare and gone looking for her. He found her packing. She took him because Henry would have told Dad otherwise, but she turned down taking him because she said she could “cope with one kid, not two”. He doesn’t know if that’s the truth, but he didn’t try and debate it. When eight-year-old-Tim had had nightmares, he had rolled over and not told anyone. He didn’t want to look weak. Maybe, he regrets that now.

(Henry certainly seems more _stable_ and _well balanced_ than he does.)

He gave Henry his phone number and his address and left.

* * *

“What the fuck, Raylan?” Tim corners him by the baggage claims at La Guardia. People are staring at them, so Raylan drags Tim off to the side by one elbow around a corner, out of sight.

“You followed me here?” Tim hisses. Raylan nods. “Right, fine.” Tim runs a hand through his hair (it sticks up - it's kinda cute). “You got any luggage?” Without waiting for a response, he drags Raylan away, towards the exit.

* * *

“Ah...Mr Reese?”

“Finch?” Reese leans over Harold’s shoulder.

“Look here,” with a few clicks of keys, Harold brings up a man’s details. “We did not notice him earlier as he and Henry Peck have different last names and share no next of kin.” A few more key strokes and he brings up their last number’s details. “Identical twins, I believe.”

“Sniper,” Reese says.

“I beg your pardon.”

“Gutterson, he’s sniper.” Reese pokes the screen. “I served with him for a few ops.”

Harold makes a pissed noise and too late Reese remembers one of the golden rules: _do_ not _touch the computer screen_. “They look very similar, John,” Harold says. John can just _feel_ the sarcasm. “Did you not think to mention this when you saw Henry Peck?”

“Henry Peck is not ex-military, so clearly is _not_ Gutterson. Gutterson wasn’t in the picture, so I left it.”

“He is. He is meeting Henry Peck by the looks of it.”

“I know, Harold. Do you want me to follow him?”

“Yes...Be careful Mr Reese. He is trained US Marshal and, according to the flight paperwork he filled out, he is carrying at least three guns.”

“I know. I trained with him. He’s a very good sniper.”

* * *

In the taxi, Tim gives Raylan the switchblade.

On the walk, he tells Raylan to be prepared.

On the subway, he tells Raylan that he is going to meet Tim’s identical twin brother. Called Henry. He has seen Henry exactly once since he was eight. He doesn’t say anymore on the subject.

Obviously, Henry is in some kind of trouble. Probably with the law, considering that Tim hasn’t contacted the local marshals.

On the second taxi, he makes Raylan turn his phone off.

* * *

“It appears that Tim Gutterson has a companion, Mr Reese.”

“Another marshal, Finch?”

“Indeed. His name is Raylan Givens, he is a colleague of Tim Gutterson. They may also be in a relationship, although there is no definite proof of that.”

Reese watches Givens hold the door for Gutterson. “They are probably sleeping together.”

* * *

“I’m a sniper,” said the scrap of a kid.

“Are you now,” John said. He didn’t care.

Later, in Iraq, he watched the scrap of a kid take down four people, one after the other. He didn’t seem to blink at all. It made John think of bowling pins.

He sat across from the kid in the mess tent a week later and said, “You’re good.”

“I better fucking should be,” said the kid. “Otherwise you and your grunts would be dead.” The boy’s mouth quirked, but he looked a little scared. John could have harmed him (killed him) easily.

John said nothing, just grinned a little.

“I’m Gutterson,” said the scrap. “What’s your name?” He held out his hand, grubby, with gun calluses and bitten nails.

A few months and multiple successful ops later, Gutterson got re-assigned to another unit with ‘better use for his talents’. John never saw him again.

* * *

They: Raylan, Tim and Tim’s clone are the only people in the cafe apart from a man reading a newspaper.

“Who’s this?” Tim’s clone demands. “Why did you bring someone?”

“He’s a friend, he won’t tell.”

The clone makes a sour face surprisingly like Tim’s. Raylan puts his hands palms down on the table and tries to look vaguely trustworthy. With his thumb, he feels something sticking to the bottom of the table. Carefully he peels it off. It looks like a bug with an adhesive backing. “Get out.”

“What?” Tim looks at him, then focuses on the bug. “We’re moving,” he says.

Raylan is the last to leave the cafe. As he closes the door, the man lowers his newspaper, a frown on his face.

* * *

Raylan stands beside Tim as he listens. It sounds a bit like a conspiracy theory, one he isn’t quite ready to believe. Especially the man with the glasses who helps and his friend who beats people up. Who the fuck are they?

But when he thinks about The Man with The Newspaper, he understands.

Henry Peck, the clone is so like **and** unlike Tim it’s ridiculous. He has some of the same mannerisms, but then he isn’t the same - Tim doesn't fidget, only moves when he has to. Raylan would bet fifty bucks that Peck had an Ivy League education. He knows for a fact that Tim did ROTC at a local college. They have different accents. They dress the same.

He stands beside Tim as Tim hands Peck a bundle of assorted currencies – where did Tim get those? Does he have a secret stash?

Henry Peck hugs Tim goodbye, clinging to Tim’s shoulders and back. White knuckles, gripping desperately. He pushes a picture in Tim’s hand and leaves for the airport. He doesn't look back.

So that twin brother that Raylan only knew about for a half of an hour? Well, Tim doesn’t have one anymore.

* * *

The picture is of two boys standing side by side in a scruffy backyard. They are seven, maybe eight. They look like they can barely stand each other, but at the same time impossibly close.

The picture is battered, has been ripped once but carefully repaired with sticky tape.

* * *

That night, Tim dry sobs against Raylan’s chest when he thinks that Raylan is asleep. Raylan just holds him close, doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to.

* * *

_Fine, maybe it wasn’t that happy an ending, but both the brothers lived. Not that they’re brothers, not anymore. But they’re still kinda brothers. One brother has still got a gent that watches his back, watches out for him. The other brother had two men who watched his back. He used to. He’s just a nobody now, doesn’t exist, not really. That’s what eight years and one database search fourteen years later (and a train ticket to Fort Hamilton) comes down to. Nothing. Exactly zero. There is no other brother, not anymore. It’s the end of the story now. Please leave, forget that Henry Peck existed. Because he doesn’t. He served his country and he’s gone. Just remember this: once there was two brothers who both spilled blood for the same flag. And then there was one._

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Ho Hey by The Lumineers. :)  
>  **Lingo:  
> **  
>  RD = 'rendezvous' (i.e. meet together)  
> ROTC = 'Reserve Officers Training Corps' - a course done at college as a prequel to joining the (US) Army


End file.
